◇ Synopsis
Outside Los Angeles, a driver encounters a young woman sitting on a large black box who offers him $200,000 to transport her and the box to Washington, DC, under strict conditions: no looking inside the box, no questions, no telling anyone, immediate departure, and leaving all trackable devices behind. As they embark on this mysterious journey, social media rumors swirl, suggesting the box is linked to a planned terror attack aimed at igniting a civil war. The reality, however, may be even more bizarre and potentially world-changing.
◇ Thoughts
I really enjoyed the book; it was a lot of fun with engaging characters and situations. It offered some thought-provoking views on social media and human nature, often with a satirical twist that highlighted the dangers of online platforms. What stood out to me was how the story suggested that the negativity we often see in the news and on social media can be countered by stepping away from them. It’s a reminder not to assume the worst about society while still being aware of potential risks. The conversations the characters have will probably stick with me for a while. Overall, I’d recommend this novel to just about anyone—it’s a great read that also offers some food for thought long after you’ve finished it.
Thanks to Netgalley for an early audiobook copy.
◇ Publisher
Macmillan
◇ Audio
Macmillan Audio provided the audio of this novella and was narrated by Ari Fliakos. The performance was well done although I did speed the audio up a nudge.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for an arc of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been a fan of Jason Pargin’s since John Dies at the End. Ari Fliakos also just so happens to be my favorite narrator of all time, so I was beyond excited to listen to this audiobook. I love the premise and the initial cast of characters are just what you would expect in a Pargin novel. I really enjoyed the social commentary and debates between primarily Abbott and GSG.

However, at almost halfway into the book, the reader is given a glimpse into Abbott’s controversial (to me) opinions via older recordings of his Twitch streams. In one such stream, Abbott defends Harvey Weinstein and claims that he is the real victim. I had to stop the audiobook.

Now I know Abbott is intended to be unlikable, but there’s unlikeable and then there’s reprehensible. I feel bad DNFing an arc (especially one I was enjoying and looking forward to) but I find Abbott as a character too triggering. If this book was already published, I would probably attempt to find out from other readers if Abbott eventually…well, stops being a misogynistic loser, but I can’t.

If you’re a sensitive reader like me for topics like these, I would give this a pass. The narration and plot were great, however, so I’m sure it will still be enjoyed by many.

As someone who often overthinks and expects the worst, this book felt like looking in the mirror, (a distorting funhouse mirror!!) The internet turning just a simple road trip into a chaotic adventure is depicted with such witty commentary.
I have a very strong feeling someone I know will LOVE this book and I plan on buying it for them!!

Possibly the funniest book I've ever read. I've already made plans to buy several copies as gifts for several people who I think will appreciate it.

Review copy provided by publisher.

This book proves that even outside of his series’ work, Jason Pargin is the best at good social commentary that’s also entertaining and funny.

How do I even begin to sum up the insanity, wisdom and mind blowing-ness of this book?

It is a book of contradictions. It is hilarious, it is serious. It is hopeful, it is cynical. It is both sides of the argument. It is empathetic, it is self centered. It is a study on humans with the internet. Humans *on* the internet. Humans living within the internet. It was humbling. Mind blowing. Gut busting.

I am an over-thinker, a pro at catastrophizing, who lets the bad news feed the curse that is my empathy, so this book was honestly a breath of fresh air and a whiff of hope. Maybe humans aren’t as bad as I thought.

What was most hilarious, though, was how quickly a road trip across America was highjacked by the internet (looking at you, reddit). How quickly a box in a backseat with stickers snowballed into this avalanche of chaos. It was a cracked out game of telephone. And the commentary! My god. It was wonderful. Witty, spiteful, freaking funny.

The most absurd and astute rendering of our current political and societal climates I have ever read. It is funny, it is terrifying, it is all too familiar--not to mention it's a road trip novel, a genre I will forever adore.

I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom
Written by Jason Pargin
Read by Ari Fliakos
Book 138/250
Genre: Satire, Thriller
Format: Physical/Audio, ARC
Pages/Time: 384/12hr 21min
Published: September 24, 2024
Rating: 9.5/10
Narration: 9/10

“Never challenge a man in a Buick. He’s got nothing to lose.”

“He felt the weight roll off him. The exquisite relief of cancelled plans that extroverts will never know.”

Special thanks to Jason for a Physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, and thanks to NetGalley for the Audio to sample!

Wow, I am incredibly impressed by Jason Pargin’s newest novel. I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom is hilarious satire, wrapped in a cross-country road trip. Throughout this book I found myself laughing out loud and physically cringing in the best ways possible.

It is astounding how much Pargin says in this book, without it feeling overly crowded or preachy. IStWATBBoD dives into the modern climate of America and how social media can take an idea and inflate it to astronomical proportions. The ideas infused within every page really hammer home how the anger and cynicism that breed on social media, taint our view of reality. In this way we are simultaneously more interconnected and disconnected than people have ever been. This book is a fantastically thought-provoking and diabolically hilarious from start to finish. Give it a read!

Also, Jason, West Virginia is clearly the better than its adjective-less counterpart.

This was such a great idea, and I always love stories where there's a mysterious container making its way around while multiple forces fight with each other. However. This was too long, and the too long parts were mainly political or interrupting again to do more telling not showing lots and lots of background. The main character was really awful and the attempt to redeem him felt weak. The narrator was game, but this was hard to pay attention for this long.
I will always read everything by this author because even this book that didn't live up to my expectations had moments of excitement and hilarity. It's got to be difficult to always be trying to live up to the brilliance of John Dies at the End.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me listen to this audiobook

Such a fascinating look at internet culture, I’ve already recommended it for our system discussion group.

This is a darkly funny and madcap adventure that delivers laughs and important themes. It addresses loneliness, social media, and the tribes that people assemble for themselves when traditional family structures fail them.

Case in point, Abbott is an occasional ride-share driver with a large number of Twitch followers. He is driving his father’s deluxe Navigator when he picks up his Lyft fare. She (Ether) has a large black crate on wheels and proposes he accompany her on a cross-country road trip to deliver it in exchange for a life-changing amount of cash. He is bullied reluctantly into her hare-brained scheme, but first has to pick up his prescription.

Then the Internet gets involved. His buddy starts a sub-Reddit thread that is soon completely and hilariously out of control. Abbott, Ether, and her black case are pursued online and IRL. Various backgrounds and motivations are assigned to the humans while the contents of the crate is believed to be a serious threat to life. Still, there are funny bits about Malort (the famously unpalatable Midwest liquor), bunny moms, Bitcoin, and more.

A key theme of the novel is the characters’ failure to communicate with each other, even when — and especially when — they are on the same side. As a result, the book includes many heated discussions between Abbott and Ether, some of which are familiar. For example, Abbott complains that attractive white girls always get a pass for bullying while Ether argues that manipulation by females is a learned protective strategy to help prevent being assaulted or worse. The audiobook does a good job of voicing both sides of such arguments in ways that are easy to follow and consistent with the characters.

I’ve had “John Dies at the End” on my TBR list for ages, so I jumped at the chance to get an early-release audiobook of this standalone novel by the same author. I was not disappointed!

My thanks to the author, publisher, audiobook producers, and #NetGalley for loaning me the audiobook copy for review purposes. To be published Sept. 24, 2024.

I have never read anything by this author so was curious to check this one out and I was intrigued by the title and cover. I loved the ending as it made me laugh.

This book is filled with dark satire. Abbott is a lyft driver living at home and makes his main income playing games and making money on social media twitch. He gets offered a job to take Ether and a large mysterious black box from LA to Washington DC for the 4th of July. The commentary of these two bickering in the car and all their wild misadventures was comical. Abbott did make me cringe each time he opened his mouth with his huge rants about women and he was such an unlikeable person.

Rumors fly on what is in the box and trying to catch them. I didn't like all the political rants and I felt the book was long and parts could have been trimmed. When it was finally revealed what was in the box I was not expecting that as I stuck in there to see what was inside. The narrator did a good job with making it entertaining and laughable.